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Conference.
Oct. 14th, 2014 12:42 pmI went to the LibDem conference last week, for four of the five days it was on. I went mostly because I had never been to a party political conference before, and this one was more or less on my doorstep. Well, Glasgow, nearly as close.
The location, though, made a difference to way I approached the conference: I wasn't staying in Glasgow, coming home each evening (and taking advantage of ScotRail's cheap day returns), so I didn't really experience full range of the conference social scene (that is, I didn't inhabit the bar at conference hotel), and I missed out on some early morning and late evening debates and fringe events.
It was still very sociable. It was also very informal. Senior politicians were just wandering around, very friendly and approachable; Ming Campbell sat next me whilst he had coffee, and I was practically stalked by Nick Clegg.
I arrived at the same time as he did, and I wasn't allowed in until he and the media scrum surrounding him had passed. I literally bumped into him three other times during conference, always with attendant photographers and, presumably, media wonks.
The media were ever-present, and it was rather more exciting to bump into Evan Davis and Allegra Stratton than it was Paddy Ashdown or Willie Rennie.
The media representation of the conference was very strange. The Daily Telegraph portrayed the conference as empty; it wasn't - it was packed. Others said the party was in meltdown and hemorrhaging support. Well, not a sign of it in Glasgow. The only piece I read which I felt described the conference I attended was in the Economist - who pointed out that this was a gathering of the faithful, so perhaps I shouldn't surprised that I didn't recognise the pictures painted other media.
I went to several debates, most of which were very well attended. I wasn't really up on the topics being debated - one of several reasons I wanted to go the conference was explore policy and policy making more detail. Most of the debates were taken up with discussing amendments to policy motions, by ordinary members. It was rather arcane. But one of the things about the Lib Dems is that policy is decided at conference, by ordinary members - and they often overturn proposals from various committees. (So many committees that I needed an acronym translator.)
I also went to many speeches. I saw Clegg perform three or four times - and it was very much a performance, managed and probably directed, too. I saw Paddy Ashdown speak, and Jo Swinson, Willie Rennie, Alistair Carmichael, Vince Cable and Danny Alexander. It looked like they were speaking without notes, but actually they were reading off a giant video prompter at back the auditorium. (I wonder why Miliband chose not to use any prompter at all; it was a gift to the Lib Dems - I think every speech pointed out that Miliband had forgotten the economy. And that Cameron wanted to punish the poor with benefit cuts whilst cutting taxes for richest.)
One of the things about political speakers I have long been aware of is the funny things they do with their hands. Some of them - think of Cameron and Miliband here (and particularly Gove) - keep their fists clenched, not aggressively but (I think) to stop them doing things with their hands that might distract television viewers. Others use their hands more flamboyantly, almost emphasising the overacting their hands are doing. The LibDem conference had examples of both of these, with a variation - holding the lectern to stop your hands doing anything (it doesn't look as silly as the clenched-fist thing).
The most expressive hands and faces belonged to the wonderfully choreographic sign language translators. I couldn't read their hands, but they were really saying something.
I was rather bemused that so many speeches were celebrated with a standing ovation, even they were just good rather than excellent. It was the only bit of the conference that seemed rather sheep-like.
I focused on Scottish politicians and Scottish issues, not exclusively, since what with referendum (which lots people were talking about - not least the Scottish MPs and MSPs, who every opportunity to emphasise that they were going to make sure the Conservative and Labour parties kept to their promise of further devolution) it's got a bit complicated to quite remember where responsibility lies.
More interesting than the speeches were the many ministerial Q&A sessions. The questions to Clegg were prescreened, but all the others were asked in the moment. All ministers seemed right on top of their briefs, though they also admitted when they didn't something, which was refreshing. (It was these sessions in which I had to work hardest remember was and what wasn't currently devolved. Pensions and benefits? No. Business? Probably... Treasury and tax? No. Interestingly, Scottish questions had both Willie Rennie, the leader in Holyrood, and Alistair Carmichael, Secretary of State for Scotland in Westminster.)
The conference felt busy, though there were long periods when was nothing going on which grabbed me (spent drinking coffee and chatting to people. And using the free wifi). People were always rushing along corridors from one event another, prompting feeling perhaps was something more interesting going on elsewhere.
And everything seemed to start late, as they waited for all those people rushing around arrive. Except when I was late. And then, like Danny Alexander's speech, they started early. (Apparently he was needed by Andrew Neil, who allegedly skewered him.)
The location, though, made a difference to way I approached the conference: I wasn't staying in Glasgow, coming home each evening (and taking advantage of ScotRail's cheap day returns), so I didn't really experience full range of the conference social scene (that is, I didn't inhabit the bar at conference hotel), and I missed out on some early morning and late evening debates and fringe events.
It was still very sociable. It was also very informal. Senior politicians were just wandering around, very friendly and approachable; Ming Campbell sat next me whilst he had coffee, and I was practically stalked by Nick Clegg.
I arrived at the same time as he did, and I wasn't allowed in until he and the media scrum surrounding him had passed. I literally bumped into him three other times during conference, always with attendant photographers and, presumably, media wonks.
The media were ever-present, and it was rather more exciting to bump into Evan Davis and Allegra Stratton than it was Paddy Ashdown or Willie Rennie.
The media representation of the conference was very strange. The Daily Telegraph portrayed the conference as empty; it wasn't - it was packed. Others said the party was in meltdown and hemorrhaging support. Well, not a sign of it in Glasgow. The only piece I read which I felt described the conference I attended was in the Economist - who pointed out that this was a gathering of the faithful, so perhaps I shouldn't surprised that I didn't recognise the pictures painted other media.
I went to several debates, most of which were very well attended. I wasn't really up on the topics being debated - one of several reasons I wanted to go the conference was explore policy and policy making more detail. Most of the debates were taken up with discussing amendments to policy motions, by ordinary members. It was rather arcane. But one of the things about the Lib Dems is that policy is decided at conference, by ordinary members - and they often overturn proposals from various committees. (So many committees that I needed an acronym translator.)
I also went to many speeches. I saw Clegg perform three or four times - and it was very much a performance, managed and probably directed, too. I saw Paddy Ashdown speak, and Jo Swinson, Willie Rennie, Alistair Carmichael, Vince Cable and Danny Alexander. It looked like they were speaking without notes, but actually they were reading off a giant video prompter at back the auditorium. (I wonder why Miliband chose not to use any prompter at all; it was a gift to the Lib Dems - I think every speech pointed out that Miliband had forgotten the economy. And that Cameron wanted to punish the poor with benefit cuts whilst cutting taxes for richest.)
One of the things about political speakers I have long been aware of is the funny things they do with their hands. Some of them - think of Cameron and Miliband here (and particularly Gove) - keep their fists clenched, not aggressively but (I think) to stop them doing things with their hands that might distract television viewers. Others use their hands more flamboyantly, almost emphasising the overacting their hands are doing. The LibDem conference had examples of both of these, with a variation - holding the lectern to stop your hands doing anything (it doesn't look as silly as the clenched-fist thing).
The most expressive hands and faces belonged to the wonderfully choreographic sign language translators. I couldn't read their hands, but they were really saying something.
I was rather bemused that so many speeches were celebrated with a standing ovation, even they were just good rather than excellent. It was the only bit of the conference that seemed rather sheep-like.
I focused on Scottish politicians and Scottish issues, not exclusively, since what with referendum (which lots people were talking about - not least the Scottish MPs and MSPs, who every opportunity to emphasise that they were going to make sure the Conservative and Labour parties kept to their promise of further devolution) it's got a bit complicated to quite remember where responsibility lies.
More interesting than the speeches were the many ministerial Q&A sessions. The questions to Clegg were prescreened, but all the others were asked in the moment. All ministers seemed right on top of their briefs, though they also admitted when they didn't something, which was refreshing. (It was these sessions in which I had to work hardest remember was and what wasn't currently devolved. Pensions and benefits? No. Business? Probably... Treasury and tax? No. Interestingly, Scottish questions had both Willie Rennie, the leader in Holyrood, and Alistair Carmichael, Secretary of State for Scotland in Westminster.)
The conference felt busy, though there were long periods when was nothing going on which grabbed me (spent drinking coffee and chatting to people. And using the free wifi). People were always rushing along corridors from one event another, prompting feeling perhaps was something more interesting going on elsewhere.
And everything seemed to start late, as they waited for all those people rushing around arrive. Except when I was late. And then, like Danny Alexander's speech, they started early. (Apparently he was needed by Andrew Neil, who allegedly skewered him.)
